Affection
by Mary B. Wolf
Summary: Mako and Bolin come to stay on Air Temple Island and their pet finds a new friend.


You think this is mine? Please check the address and consult your map. I hope you enjoy. :)

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To say Pabu likes Jinora is an understatement.

To say Pabu adores Jinora to a such a degree as to make Bolin insanely jealous is slightly more accurate.

The first night Bolin and Mako stay at the air temple, Pabu is wary of the airbending children. Ikki and Meelo are entirely too hyperactive for the laid-back fire ferret-unless Pabu is also feeling hyper-while the eldest is nowhere to be found.

Unless it is their scheduled lesson time, Ikki and Meelo don't go anywhere near the training pavilion, and neither of them willingly enter the library, which is where Jinora spends most of her time-and eventually where Pabu will spend most of his.

The first time Pabu goes missing, Bolin tears through the air temple in a panic and cries in relief when Jinora finds him in the stables with his head in Oogi's mouth, because she's got the drowsy fire ferret cradled in her skinny arms.

"I was reading in the library and he just crawled into my lap," she explains. Her voice is soft and warm and Pabu snuggles closer to her bony chest, making contented little noises.

"Pabu!" Bolin wails, holding out his hands to take his friend from the oldest Air Baby. "You scared me!"

The fire ferret startles awake and begins chittering angrily at Bolin. He looks startled for a moment, then confused, and then hurt.

"But-but-" he splutters.

Pabu interrupts with a decisive chirp and settles back against Jinora, as if the matter is settled. Bolin looks absolutely crestfallen and says, "He's going to be staying...with...with you," and promptly bursts into tears and runs away.

Jinora could swear the fire ferret sighs happily as he falls asleep.

Pabu eventually makes up with Bolin, but even after that, he can usually be found sprawled across Jinora, either in her lap or on her shoulders, napping or out-and-out hiding from her overactive siblings.

Jinora comes to appreciate this in the depths of winter when it becomes awkward to keep a blanket around her shoulders, and the edge comes off her loneliness with the fire ferret around. After Bolin helps her bake treats for Pabu, Jinora finds out that his claws tickle through her clothes when he searches each of her pockets for them.

It takes only a few weeks for her to begin to understand Pabu's moods and chattering, and a few weeks later, Jinora begins reading aloud to him. He rarely seems to care or understand what she's saying, and he always falls asleep around the third page of whatever it is she's reading.

Bolin and Mako find her in one of the gardens one day, a scroll spread out before her and their pet at her side. Winter has passed and spring is in full swing, the humid warmth allowing for fewer, lighter layers. Bolin pauses for a moment, a small smile crossing his face as he observes them.

"I'm going to keep looking for her," Mako murmurs as soon as he notices it. Bolin nods distractedly and settles on the ground to wait for Jinora's attention. Eventually she glances up from her reading material with a faint air of bemusement.

"Yes, Bolin?" she asks politely.

"Pabu really likes you," he comments, the words surprising him because he's fairly certain he didn't mean to say anything.

She laughs. "Well, I like him, too," she says happily, stroking his side. Pabu grunts and rolls over onto his back so his legs stick up in the air. A pang goes through Bolin, because ordinarily Pabu doesn't let anyone but _Bolin_ (and occasionally Mako) touch him when he sleeps. Any number of people have scars on their hands from bites or scratches inflicted from waking him.

But then, Pabu doesn't normally sleep around other people.

Tickling his belly elicits a tinkling giggle from Jinora as his legs twitch.

"He really trusts you, too," Bolin notes. He tries not to sound bitter or hurt, but those tones slide into his voice anyway-heavily enough that Jinora notices and drops her hand from the fire ferret, who immediately stops wiggling and wakes up.

"I'm so sorry, Bolin," she gasps. "I didn't mean to steal him from you, he just-"

"I know," Bolin interrupts gently. "Pabu is fickle," he adds, looking directly at his furry friend as he says it. "But he has good taste."

Pabu chitters, sounding confused, and rights himself. He places a paw on Jinora's nearest knee and then, when she shows no signs of petting him, scurries up her clothes to nuzzle her cheek. He stays a moment.

Bolin speaks again.

"I miss him. But he'll come back when he's ready." He grins. "Won't ya, buddy?" he asks brightly. "And in the meantime, he seems pretty happy with you."


End file.
